Improvement in railway-switches



Y elicited gwn-'5 @strut @Mire EDMUND Yltnnnnrgor PITTSBURG, PnNN'sYL-vANIA.

Letters Patent No. 98,138, lated December 21, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

l illustrative of my improvement;

Figurer2 is a cross-section thereof through the switch-bridle Figure 3 shows in perspective my mode of bolting the stationaryrails to the head-chair; and

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section of the chair and switch-bridle, and a side view of the' rails, and longitudinally therewith.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The nature of my invention consists- First, in the arrangement of the switchbridle under the movable ends of the switch-rails, and between such ends and the chair or chairs which support them at the ends;

Second, in the construction of a switch-chair with a groove, shoulder, or offsetin one end, of a depth equal, or about equal to the-'thickness of the switchl'u'idle to be used therewith;

Third, in bolting the stationary rails of the switchtrack to the headchair. v

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and inode of operation.

a a represent the stationary rails, and af, the movable rails of a railway-track at the place of inserting a switch, which rails are of any known form.

.lhe contiguous ends of these rails are supported by a head-chair, l), which consists of a single iron block, properly supported by ties,.and extending across the track from outside rail to outside rail. .,-r

rlhis ,head-chair is cast with lips o on one edge,

properly arranged, so as to embrace the webs of the` rails a, which are inserted therein. These lips, however, are notched, as shown ats,

The ends of the rails a have holes punched through their necks, just above their webs, at such points that bolts e passed through will lie along the notches s and the head at one end, and nut c', at the other eud of each bolt, will bear against the lips c, and aid in holdingt-he rails a firmly and steadily' in position, against both the lateral and' longitudinal strain or force t which' they are subject from passing trains.

These features, the head-chair and bolts, are important, since they strengthen materially that part of the track which is most liable to get out of order.

That part of the head-chair b which-is designed to support the switch-rails, is made with a groove or ofiset, as shown in tig. 4, the depth of such groove below the bearing-face on which rest the rails a, being equal, or about equal to the thickness of the bridle d, which works or is designed to work therein.

The bridle il, which works in this groove or oli'set, carries on its upper face the switch-rails a', the latter being held in place, so as to be moved with the shift ing of the bridle d, by lips i', which b ear on the webs of the switch-rail o'.

Thebridle d may beheld in place on the chairb by the edges of the groove-ou eil-her side 4of it, or bylugs projecting upward on either or bothv sides.

`The construction and arrangement described differ from and are superior to those of the devices in ordinary use for like purposes, in the following respects: In the ordinary construction pf switches, the ends of themoving rails rest on a plain chair, and have no' side or lateral support at that point, to steady them under the heavy strain to which they are subject from passing trains.

Also, the switch-bridle is usually attached to the rails a back of the chair, and, consequently, at somel little distance from the ends of the rails., Consequently, such a bridle ai'ords no support to the rails, and,1in fact, is not designed for any such purpose; but by arranging a bridle whichhas embracing-lugs t immediately under the ends of the switch-rails a', and

Vbetween such ends and chair or chairs b which support them, I provide not only for giving to such shifting rails a more exact length of throw, but also give them a lateral and vertical support, which relieves them of a great part of the strain on them, and greatly increases their durability.

1 have. described the ychairbas extending across the track, from outside rail to outside rail. lThat feature of the construction is not essential,- as a separate chair, witha raised part ou one edge,'for a bearingsurface for a stationary rail, a, and a groove or offset, as described, for a bridle which carries a shifting rail, a', may be used under the opposite track-rails, the important and essential 'feature being to iuterpose the sluiting bridle between the ends of the shifting rails and the chair which supports them, and yet have both the shift-ing and fixed rails always on the same level, or nearly so, and such construction Icinclude in my invention.

' I am aware thata bridle, having no joint between the locking-place and the rail opposite thereto, has been attached to shifting rails back of the chair, whereas, in my invention, the bridle rests on the chair, .lhe shitting-devices may be such as are shown in the drawing, or of any other well-known construction. vThe switch-bridle cl, I prefer to make without any joint between the outermost of three points, to wit,

the points Where the rails rest on it and thev point at which it is locked.

What I claim as my invention, and desire `to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The ari'angement of a switch-bridle, between the movable ends of the shiftingfrails of a. railroad-switch and the chair o1' cha-irs which support such ends, substantially as above described.

2. A switch-chair, having a raised bearing-surface for the stationary rail or rails, and an offset., groove,

or depression, in combination 'with a bridle, interposed' between the chair and tbe ends of the shifting rails, substantially as above described. l 3. The bolts s; passing through the Webs of the` rails a, and along notches' in the lips c4, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I, the said EDMUND YARD- LEY, have hereunto set my hand.

EDMUND YARDLEY.

4 Witnesses:

A. S. NICHOLSON, Tuos. B. KEER. 

